The present invention relates to the field of needled textile structures and it relates more particularly to a device for automatically removing such structures after they have been needled in a circular type needling machine.
In circular type needling machines, the annular preform for needling is placed on a needling table which is rotated by drive means. This gives rise to a particular difficulty with removing the preform once needling has been completed, particularly when preform production is to be performed automatically without manual intervention. The present practice consists essentially in lowering the table at the end of manufacture so as to enable an operator to extract manually the preform made in this way from the machine.
The present invention thus seeks to solve this specific problem with a needling machine that includes a device for automatically removing preforms. An object of the invention is also to provide such a device without significantly altering the initial structure of a circular type needling machine, and in particular while remaining within the same general size.
These objects are achieved by a needling machine for needling a textile structure built up from a helical strip delivered by strip supply means, the machine comprising a needling table that is vertically movable, a needling head including a determined number of barbed needles and placed over said needling table in a needling zone, and driven with vertical reciprocating motion, cutting means for cutting said strip once a predetermined thickness for said textile structure has been obtained, and conical roller drive means for rotating said strip on said needling table until a textile structure has been built up with said predetermined thickness, wherein at least a fraction of said conical roller drive means is movable so as to be retracted to release an empty space over said needling table enabling ejector means to remove said textile structure from said needling table.
Thus, with this particular structure, once needled preforms have been made, they can be removed easily and automatically.
In a particular embodiment, said ejector means may comprise thrust means placed level with said needling table, said thrust means possibly comprising either an actuator or a pivoting fork whose thrust tine acts directly on the periphery of said textile structure, or else a manipulator arm provided with gripping means for taking hold of said textile structure and removing it from said needling table.
Preferably, at least one of said conical roller drive means is mounted on a support tray capable of sliding on a rail extending transversely to the thrust direction of said thrust means and includes motor means enabling it to be moved along the rail. Advantageously, the motor means include an electrically controlled actuator. In an alternative embodiment, the rail extends following a circular arc from an initial drive position.